I'm hoping for a bit of advice regarding the chooks at my son's primary school. I have found out this week that over the weekend when the new garden was built at the school by the garden team, that the chooks now longer are allowed to free-range because they will destroy the predacious new garden. This upsets me as their old range area was dismantled and I feel the chooks should have been considered first in the plan, not as an afterthought. They are now confined to the chook pen full-time. So I have been pushing quite heavily this week for a temporary run area adjacent to their pen to be installed post haste. I am going to have to come up with a longer-term plan as no-one else is really bothering - lots of talk but no action. The chooks have been at the school 2 years but not much has been done for them so I now think it's up to me.

Apart from drawing up a new plan, I also wonder about the chooks themselves and future directions. These chooks can fly quite high, up and over any tall fence, so any free-ranging option has to involve either a really high fence or full enclosed roof. I'm wondering if there are any breeds of chooks that don't fly as high? I have australorps at home that are huge so can't fly, but they also go broody and spend longertines off the lay. An option may be a cross such as Sussex and australorp? They are still large birds but don't tend to go broody? Not that I don't like the idea of raising chicks at the school for education purposes for the kids, but I'm thinking more around realistic maintenance as I have not seen a great deal of commitment so far.

Why not make up a series of movable chicken tunnels for them to range in? Weldmesh wire would be self supporting and durable when regularly relocated. You'd get a lot of area for them to range in without the need for tall fences or converted runs.

It would be s great option and I can think of other great options but my concern is getting any kind of funding. Recently a chook looked unwell and a teacher (the only teacher who really cares for the pets) was going to take her to the vet. When I expressed concern that the school might not pay she said she was going to pay for it with her own money. I want to clarify all this sort of stuff with the school next week when I meet with the principal.

Funding is always an issue for primary schools. Write up a proposal for what you want to do, with pricing and options.

Give them a few plans to pick from, aiming for the one you actually want being the cheapest. Don't go overboard with the most expensive option, just give them three reasonable plans , and with any luck they'll pick one.

Thanks Azira, I actually just opened up my laptop to start working on a proposal! What good advice! My focus is definitely on budget but I won't compromise chook happiness So my first option is a wire tunnel system that can be moved around easily when need be. Wish me luck!

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